Last Goodbye
by Sophia Lore
Summary: As the dust settles after Amon's recent attack on the bending stadium, Korra comes across someone who's having a hard time accepting it all. How can she help?


Anyone else as upset as I was over what happened to Tahno? I love that guy and all his jerk-ness, and better not be out of the rest of the series! I know he's a semi-minor character, but I like him all the same. Either way, this is my first fanfiction, but you can be as brutal as you please about my writing style and whatnot, but if you're not a fan of Tahno and Korra together, then please no flames! (I'm a makorrian too) Also, criticism appreciated! Thanks :D

00000000000000000

The dust had not yet completely cleared in the pro bending stadium, and small fires could be found burning amongst the rubble. The chaos after Amon had attacked had been immediate and startling. Screams could be heard in every direction as benders and non benders alike scrambled to get out of the stadium after the explosion of the central arena. Now, the place was eerily quiet other than the occasional shout, and the low lighting around the platform beneath the fighting ring made seeing through the drifting dust slightly more difficult.

A few distant calls could be heard as Korra's two team members and Lynn Beifong's police force found downed men or women everywhere around the grand stadium. The search was still on, and Korra was in the middle of searching for fallen police squad members or bystanders on the bottommost platform, when she heard a few muffled grunts coming from her left. Carefully jogging through the dusty smoke and fog, Korra was able to make out the faint outline of a person doing what seemed to be bending movements. Seeing this, she picked up the pace.

What she saw made her stop in her tracks. There was Tahno, trying a sequence of waterbending movements over and over with a look of wild desperation on his face. No matter how big of a jerk he'd been to her previously, seeing him like this made Korra soften her tone as she called out in an almost tentative manner.

"Tahno?" He whirled in response to her words, holding himself in a defensive position, and he appeared frightened for a split second. When he saw who it was however, he quickly masked his emotions into one of feigned indifference. "Oh, it's the uh-vatar. Come to gloat have you? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm perfectly _fine_" he said scornfully.

Korra took a deep breath to control her temper and stepped forward slightly. "Tahno, look, I know that we might be opponents, but I really do care alright? No one deserves to lose their bending. Not even you." She added the last bit out of humor, but she could see that it did not have the intended effect.

"I said I was FINE. My bending's just out for a bit, I'm sure it's back now." Tahno lifted his arms and shifted his weight towards the water. Nothing happened. Frustrated, he tried again.

Nothing. He clenched his eyes shut momentarily in disbelief, lowering his head until she could barely see his face.

Korra remembered how terrified and alone she had felt when she thought Amon was going to remove her bending. Perhaps that's what made her do it. Made her step closer to him and place her arm on his shoulder in comfort. He jerked away wildly, his eyes widening then narrowing dangerously.

"It's not gone. It's not!" He started throwing himself through the bending motions again and again, unrelentingly until his moves became sloppy and he was panting heavily.

Korra wasn't sure what to do, as she had never comforted a distraught person before. Seeing the tears of anger and desperation start to form in his eyes, she could tell that it was finally sinking in. That it was gone. Forever.

Whirling himself around to try the water whip once again, he found himself spinning right into Korra's arms. Before he could try and break free, she tightened her arms around him. He struggled for a moment before going deathly still. She looked up into his face, and upon seeing the forlorn look in his eyes, she knew what she had to do.

Slowly, keeping her eyes glued to him in a silent command to stay put, she lifted one of her arms from around him and bent a trail of water into the air. Slowly, she took his hands in hers, and bent the water around them both, contracting it until it only surrounded their embracing hands. Tentatively, he touched the water, watching it flow like it was a living thing and started moving his hands in a way that would have bent the water had he still the ability. Catching on quickly, Korra mimicked his movements, watching him gradually pretend to bend the water back towards the large tank. Only once it had dipped back into the place from where it came did his tears start to flow in earnest.

He looked at her then, without derision, scorn, confidence or any of the other expressions she'd seen him wear. He looked at her with gratitude, in thanks for letting him have his last goodbye with his element. In thanks for understanding what he needed. It something he could never have done on his own, or even with anyone but her if he really thought about it. She gave him a small sad smile, and proceeded to hug him once more. His silent sobs wracked her body as he hesitantly placed his arms around her. She held him closer for comfort, and felt his rigid posture melt as he slumped against her, finally accepting the reassurance she offered him. When she felt his knees tremble slightly, she lowered them to a sitting position and just kept on holding him.

"What do I do now?" she heard the small, broken words between the sobs, and when she answered, she surprised herself by how truly she meant what she said. "I don't know. But I'll help you figure it out. We can do this together." When he looked up at her, looking so broken, she then added the words that started everything, and ended it all at once; "I promise."


End file.
